Propellant blast suppressive transportation box

ABSTRACT

A propellant blast suppressive transportation/storage box for at least one layer of elongate large-caliber ammunition, such as shells. The box is formed as a parallelepipedic cage of a steel grid structure having a bottom section rigidly integrated with four side wall sections so as to define a storage compartment for snugly receiving the at least one layer of ammunition therein. A cage lid is pivotally attached to an upper reinforcement rim of at least one of the side walls sections.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European patent application07115387.8 filed 31 Aug. 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a propellant blast suppressivetransportation/storage box for at least one layer of elongatelarge-caliber ammunition, such as shells. Such a transportation/storagebox is configured to be able to withstand or minimize the damage of anunintentional or accidental blast of the propellant of the ammunition.

2. Description of Related Art

A box for transportation and storage of explosive goods is disclosed inDE 202 18 297 U1 and comprises separate grid wall sections which areinterconnected mutually and to bottom and top sections of the box bydiscrete hinge joints in such a manner that all side sections of the boxcan be folded out or collapse from an upraised condition into a flatcondition when the box is not in use. This will make it possible tostack a plurality of boxes together with associated foldable outertransportation cartons in a limited space. The grid structure of theside sections of the box is intended to take up energy released in caseof an accidental explosion of the goods packed in the box. Inparticular, this kind of box is suitable for transportation and storageof explosive articles such as airbags for motor vehicles, where theexplosive power of such articles is relatively limited. However, boxesconfigured in accordance with the teachings of DE 202 18 297 U1 are notsuitable for transportation and storage of more powerful explosiveproducts, such as elongate large-caliber ammunition, e.g. shells, inorder to take up and suppress the blast of an accidentally ignitedpropellant charge of the ammunition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved storageand transportation box which can withstand and minimize the damagecaused by an unintentional or accidental blast of the propellant of theammunition. Owing to the proposed rigid integration of the four sidewalls sections, the bottom section and the lid, each of a steel gridstructure, a strong blast suppressive box is achieved.

Further features and advantages of the box according to the presentinvention will be described more in detail in the following descriptionwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of a blast suppressivetransportation/storage box of the invention in an open condition and inwhich is inserted one twin-case for shells;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 of an empty box; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 of an empty box ina closed condition.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-3 a box 10 for storage and transportation of shells orsimilar elongate ammunition is shown. The box 10 comprises four sidewall sections 12, 14, 16, 18, a bottom section 20 and a top or lid 22,each of a steel grid structure, so as to form a parallelepipediccage-like box 10. The side wall sections 12, 14, 16, 18 are preferablyformed by one single steel grid element which is bent into acircumferentially closed wall member, the opposing end edges of whichbeing welded together e.g. at a vertical corner of the cage 10. Thelower edges of the side wall sections 12, 14, 16, 18 and upwardly bentperipheral edges of the bottom section 20 are fastened by welding tolower circumferential reinforcement steel rims 24, whereas the upperedges of the side wall sections 12-18 are fastened by welding to uppercircumferential reinforcement steel rims 26. In the side wall sections12, 14, 16, 18 steel reinforcement strips 28, 30 extendcircumferentially at levels preferably corresponding to a longitudinal,horizontal central plane of each level of the shells being stored in thecage-like box 10 (see FIG. 1). This will strengthen and enhance theability of the cage 10 to resist forces exerted thereto in case of anaccidental blast of the propellant charge of the shells.

As shown in FIG. 1, a portable case 31 configured to receive two shellstherein is fitted snugly in the cage 10, which in this embodiment canreceive three such cases 31. Longitudinally extending steelreinforcement strips 32, 34 as well as transversal reinforcement strips36, 38 (FIG. 2) may also be welded to the bottom section 20 and to theside wall sections 12, 14, 16, 18 of the box cage 10 by upwardly bentportions of the strips 36, 38 which extend at least partially over theheight of the side wall sections.

In order to minimize the space needed for opening and closing the cage10 the lid 22 preferably comprises two sections 22 a, 22 b, each ofwhich being pivotally attached to a respective upper short sidereinforcement rim 26 a, 26 b of the cage 10. Yet, the lid 22 may beformed in one single piece, if desired. As shown in FIG. 3, in a closedcondition of the cage 10 the adjacent ends of the lid sections 22 a, 22b overlap one another and are releasably locked to the opposite upperlong side reinforcement rims 26 c and 26 d by means of locks 40. Thiswill create a strong fixation of the lid sections 22 a, 22 b to the cagestructure.

The rigid integration of the four side walls sections 12, 14, 16, 18,the bottom section 20 and the lid 22, each of a steel grid structure,creates a strong blast suppressive cage box 10 that is able to withstandor minimize the damage of an unintentional or accidental blast of thepropellant of the ammunition. If desired, the cage box 10 may be fittedinto an additional, outer box (not shown) for transportation purposes.

1. A propellant blast suppressive transportation/storage box for atleast one layer of elongate large-caliber ammunition, the boxcomprising: a parallelepipedic cage comprising a steel grid structurehaving a bottom section rigidly integrated with four side wall sectionsso as to define a storage compartment for snugly receiving said at leastone layer of ammunition therein, and a cage lid pivotally attached to anupper reinforcement rim of at least one of the side wall sections forsecurely closing the ammunition storage compartment to aself-supporting, blast suppressive cage during storage andtransportation of the ammunition.
 2. The propellant blast suppressivebox according to claim 1, wherein the four side wall sections of thecage are formed by one single steel grid element bent into acircumferentially closed wall member.
 3. The propellant blastsuppressive box according to claim 2, wherein all upper and lower edgesof the wall member and upwardly bent peripheral edges of the bottomsection are fastened by welding to respective circumferentialreinforcement steel rims.
 4. The propellant blast suppressive boxaccording to claim 1, wherein the cage comprises a circumferentiallyextending reinforcement strip located substantially in level with acenter axis of each layer of ammunition.
 5. The propellant blastsuppressive box according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises twosections pivotally attached at one end thereof to opposite upper siderims of the cage, said lid sections overlapping one another at theirother ends.
 6. The propellant blast suppressive box according to claim5, wherein the lid sections are pivotally attached to a forward and arearward end wall section, respectively, of the cage.
 7. The propellantblast suppressive box according to claim 1, wherein the storagecompartment of the cage is dimensioned to snugly receive portable casesfor individual storage of the elongate large-caliber ammunition.
 8. Thepropellant blast suppressive box according claim 1, wherein an outertransportation box is configured to snugly receive the cage therein. 9.The propellant blast suppressive transportation/storage box according toclaim 1, wherein the elongate large-caliber ammunition comprises shells.